Governor Bentley approves $2M for Alabama courts

Published: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at 12:37 a.m.

MONTGOMERY | Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has allocated $2 million to the state court system to help the courts maintain operations.

Bentley told Chief Justice Roy Moore on Monday that court system would receive the money immediately.

The funding is short of the $8.5 million conditional appropriation that was approved for courts by the Legislature.

Moore said he has told the governor that the full conditional appropriation is key to avoid layoffs in the court system.

"I appreciate what the governor's done," Moore told the Montgomery Advertiser. "We appreciate him giving us the $2 million from leftover funds. But reducing the conditional appropriation from $8.5 million to $6.5 million — we're hoping money comes in and we get that."

Moore said the governor has assured him he will try to obtain the full $8.5 million for the court system in the upcoming legislative session which begins in January.

The chief justice informed court employees in a letter that he hopes the $2 million will allow courts to maintain their current level of staffing.

Administrative director of the court system Rich Hobson told the newspaper that without the full appropriation about 150 out of 1,500 workers could be laid off.

<p>MONTGOMERY | Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has allocated $2 million to the state court system to help the courts maintain operations.</p><p>Bentley told Chief Justice Roy Moore on Monday that court system would receive the money immediately.</p><p>The funding is short of the $8.5 million conditional appropriation that was approved for courts by the Legislature.</p><p>Moore said he has told the governor that the full conditional appropriation is key to avoid layoffs in the court system.</p><p>"I appreciate what the governor's done," Moore told the Montgomery Advertiser. "We appreciate him giving us the $2 million from leftover funds. But reducing the conditional appropriation from $8.5 million to $6.5 million — we're hoping money comes in and we get that."</p><p>Moore said the governor has assured him he will try to obtain the full $8.5 million for the court system in the upcoming legislative session which begins in January.</p><p>The chief justice informed court employees in a letter that he hopes the $2 million will allow courts to maintain their current level of staffing.</p><p>Administrative director of the court system Rich Hobson told the newspaper that without the full appropriation about 150 out of 1,500 workers could be laid off.</p>